Apparatus for forming wheel hubs



April 12, 1932. J 5, BATH;

APPARATUS FOR FORMING WHEEL HUBS Filed Oct. 15, i928 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12, 1932 FATE.

JOSEPH E. BATIE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To Kn sRY-H'AYEs WHEEL R- PORATION, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR FORMIN WHEEL. Truss Application filed October 15, 1928. Serial No. 312,690.

The invention relates to vehicle wheel hubs and refers more particularly to the method of and apparatus for forming the same. One of the objects of the invention is to economically manufacture a wheel hub having a square corner at the end of the barrel connecting into the fixed flange. Another obj ect is to provide a simple apparatus for cooling part of a hot wheel hub blank without cooling another part so thatin a subsequentstep of the operation the hot part may be forged to the desired or predetermined shape. With these as well as other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements have been formed from a flat blank by cupping to form the cylindrical barrel portion and the annular flange portion with a round fillet between the barrel and flange portions. With my invention the flange portion is formed with a bend near the barrel portion 1 111d the part of the bend at the junction with the barrel portion is flat to form 'a square shoulder. To economically manufacture this hub, a sheet metal blank is first cold fashioned by the usual cupping operations to orm a blank having the cylindrical barrel portion 1 and the. outwardly extending annular flange portion 2 at the end thereof, the barrel portion being enlarged near the flange ortion to form the annular shoulder 8.

This blank is then h-eatedand placed upon a cooling apparatus with the flange portion 2 supported upon the posts tand the annular shoulder 3 of the barrel portion l engaging the end of the cylindrical sleeve 5. wipe extending upwardly through the sleeve 5 and having its open discharge end located near the closed end of the barrel portion.

This pipe is adapt-ed to conduct a suitable cooling medium, such as water, which is discharged against the closedend ,of thebarrel 6isa portion and runs down alongthe inner side.

of this barrel portion and is deflected therefrom by the sleeve 5 which shields the part of the barrel portion '1 near the flangeportion 2 and also the flange portion fromthe cooling medium. As a result, the part of the barrel portion 1 above the annular shoulder 3 may be cooled without cooling the remaining part of the barrel portion and the flange portion. 7 The blank is then inserted into'a drawing apparatus where the hot part of the barrel portion and the hot flange portion are forged to formthe flange portion with the bend 8 near the barrel portion and havingthe flat face 9 at the junction with the inner face of the barrel portion to form a square shoulder, the metal being upset in forming the square shoulder and the upsetting being possible by reason of the fact that the metal of the cooled part of the barrel portion is set prior to the upsetting.

It will thus be seenthat with my method and apparatus, a wheel hub blank having the desired shape with a square corner at the junction of the barrel and flange portions maybe economically manufactured.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an apparatus for forming wheel hubs from blanks each of which includesfa barrel portion, the combination of a sleeve telescopically engageable with the barrel por-' tion of a hot blank, and means for conductmg a cooling medium to the barrel portion beyond the sleeve.

2. In an apparatus for forming wheel hubs from blanks each of which includes a barrel portion, the combination of a sleeve insertable into the barrel portion of a hot hub blank and adapted'to have an annular engagement therewith, and means for conducting a cooling medium into the barrel portion beyond the sleeve.

3. In an apparatus for forming wheel hubs, the combinationwith a support'for a hot hub blank having barrel and flange portions, of a sleeve adapted to have an annularengagement with the inner surface of the barrel portion near the flangeportion, and means for conducting a cooling medium into the barrel portion beyond the sleeve.

OFFICE 4. In an apparatus for forming a wheel hub from a hot hub blank having a flange portion and a barrel portion with an annular shoulder near the flange portion and a closed end, the combination With a support engageable With the flange portion, of a sleeve engageable With the annular shoulder of the barrel portion and a pipe for conducting a cooling medium adapted to extend Within the barrel portion and having a discharge opening near the closed end.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH E. BATIE. 

